Ala Moana Bowls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for us.

We’re kicking things off this Friday afternoon, August 21st, with some clean, fun surf on the way. The standout spot right out of the gate is Ala Moana Bowls. Water temp is about 80°, pretty normal for the time of year.

Friday afternoon (Aug 21) is where you wanna be. We’ve got a nice long-period 2ft groundswell rolling in from the SW – that 16-second period means the waves will have some proper energy and shape when they hit the reef. The wind is a light NE cross-off at 6 mph, keeping it clean. Combined energy is solid at 261, and honestly, this is a rare treat with the glassy potential shaping up.

Saturday morning (Aug 22) starts to fall apart. Still a 2ft SW swell with great period, but the wind jumps to 22 mph from the ENE, just tearing it up. Combined energy jumps to 481, but it's all junk. Saturday afternoon gets worse – the swell shifts onshore from the ENE at 6ft with a short, weak 7-second period and wind howling at 25 mph. This pattern of messy, windy, short-period, ENE swell sticks around right through to the following week. From Saturday (Aug 22) through to Sunday morning (Aug 30), it’s basically a write-off for quality surf at Bowls. The breeze is just too strong and cross-off for any real joy.

There is a little flicker of hope on Wednesday morning (Sep 2). The wind drops to a whisper – a NNE cross-off at just 3 mph, and we get a 3ft groundswell from the SSW with a long 16-second period. Combined energy is moderate at 370. The swell is small, but clean. By Wednesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy – almost dead calm at 3 mph from the ENE. That 3ft SSW swell will hold up nicely with period. If you’re itching for a paddle, these two sessions are your best bet in the whole 16-day forecast. But you’ll have to wait a week and a half to see that setup.

Beyond that, Thursday Sep 3 turns onshore again with a S wind, and the rest of the window into early September is a mix of marginal junk or clean but tiny swell. The big spike of 7ft to 8ft on Monday Aug 31 and Tuesday Sep 1 comes with a 12 to 11 second period from the ENE, but it’s still under a strong 22 mph cross-off wind, making it a messy, blown-out affair for the average surfer. Combined energy hits 1423 then 1642, but it’s a washing machine out there unless you’re a hardcore tow-in specialist looking for a challenge.

Overall, don’t get your hopes up for the weekend. The true standout is Friday afternoon (Aug 21) for the clean glassy conditions. And for the desperate, Wednesday Sep 2 has a brief moment of near-calm winds with a clean groundswell. After that, we’re waiting on the next system.

Stay salty,
Rusty.

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